TURRET Rocks signalled that she is ready for a return to the big time as she left the form of last month’s reappearance well behind to claim a game success in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes.

The Jim Bolger-trained filly came here looking for her first win since landing the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster in 2015 and she needed to improve markedly on her recent sixth in a Gowran Park listed race. That last run came on unsuitably soft ground and the switch to a better surface made all the difference to the June Judd-owned four-year-old.

The conclusion of this 10-furlong Group 3, which has moved from its traditional home at Naas, made for enthralling viewing as the battle ebbed and flowed throughout the last quarter of a mile. The front-running Creggs Pipes kept finding more for pressure and it was only in the last furlong that she gave best.

Laganore briefly looked as though she might prevail but Kevin Manning and a gritty Turret Rocks would not be denied. The 6/1 chance got on top in the closing stages to succeed by three-quarters of a length.

“I did think of pulling her out at Gowran on account of the soft ground,” said Bolger. “The key to her is good ground and I’m very happy with her, she wasn’t doing much in front.

“The Yorkshire Oaks would be a target but we’ll find something before then. Last year she was one of my three-year-olds who didn’t hit the heights they were entitled to but we have a reason for that.”

Solar Halo (14/1) picked an opportune time to shed her maiden tag as she bagged the €50,000 Plusvital Racing Genepak Handicap over six furlongs. Another winner for Willie McCreery, this Flaxman Stables-owned filly was pitched in at Group 3 level on just her second outing last season and this comeback suggests that she is ready for a return to stakes company.

The daughter of Harlan’s Holiday was never far off the pace for Billy Lee and over the last furlong she showed a fine attitude to edge out the well-backed favourite Treaty Of Vienna by a nose.

Little Clarinet was just a neck away in third.

“When we got all the rain last night I was worried that her chance had gone and then she didn’t get much cover through the race but she was good and brave and hit the line well,” reflected McCreery.

FIRST FOR ELLIOTT

The long reach of the Gordon Elliott yard was felt at the Curragh for the first time and, in striking style too, as Beckford made a taking debut in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Maiden.

The son of Bated Breath is one of seven juveniles that the Nick Bradley Racing Club placed in training with Elliott and the new venture has paid immediate dividends.

The 10/1 chance was initially quite green under Declan McDonogh but he gradually worked his way into the reckoning with two furlongs to run. Beckford then quickened smartly to go clear entering the last furlong and he finished with one length and a three-quarters to spare.

“It’s my first winner here. I’ve only ever had one two-year-old runner before and wasn’t sure what to expect but his work had been good and everything he had done we’d liked,” commented Elliott.

“I’m pleased for Declan as he’s put a lot of work into these two-year-olds and I’m delighted for the syndicate too. We have two or three nice ones and he is one of them. We could look at Ascot but I’ll speak to the owners.”

Ger Lyons notched up his first juvenile winner of the season as Black Sails (100/30) made a bright start to her career in the six-furlong conditions race. This winners’ event was contested by six maidens but this shouldn’t in any way detract from the Qatar Racing-owned daughter of Lope De Vega.

Early in the last quarter of a mile, Black Sails improved to tackle Another Batt, who caught the eye with his debut fifth to Romanised at Navan last month, and Colin Keane’s mount got on top inside the distance. Black Sails eventually finished with a length and a quarter to spare with US Navy Seal doing best of the three Ballydoyle runners in third.

“She’s a lovely, raw filly who I think the world of,” reflected Ger Lyons. “I wasn’t planning on running her for another four weeks but I took the view that these winners’ races weren’t filling and this was a nice, small field to start her out in. I think she’s a proper stakes filly and she should progress throughout the season.”

LYONS AGAIN

Lyons and Colin Keane also struck with Brendan Brackan’s three-year-old half-sister Elegant Pose in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. The Elusive Pimpernel newcomer was a wellbacked 9/2 chance and Colin Keane allowed her to seize control of the race with over a furlong to run. Fellow newcomer New Terms finished out this mile event in good style but she still finished half a length adrift of the Anamoine Ltd-owned winner.

“She’s a nice filly and I thought that she’d run well,” remarked Lyons. “She doesn’t want extremes of ground and I’d say she will be able to step up to 10 furlongs. I’d hope she is a backtype filly.”

Night Of Glory (7/4) continued an excellent week for Michael O’Callaghan as he built on a promising debut second to Chronicles by landing the 10-furlong colts’ maiden.

Pat Smullen was niggling him along on the approach to the straight but Night Of Glory was at his strongest when it mattered most. He saw off Wisconsin after they had moved past the front-running World Tax War and the Amethyst Syndicate-owned three-year-old had three lengths to spare.

“Pat felt he could make up into a lovely staying type. He’s still raw and is going to improve plenty again. I was thinking of the Gallinule Stakes next but we’ll just see,” declared O’Callaghan.

Jockey Sean Kirrane, on just his sixth ride, enjoyed a day to cherish as Bainne (9/1) provided him with the first triumph of his career in the apprentice riders’ handicap. The top-weight, who is now an eight times winner, was settled well off a searing early pace in this seven-furlong heat.

Bainne had it all to do passing halfway but the Deirdre Kelly and Tara Browne-owned seven-year-old came from out of the clouds to deny Jealika in the last stride.

“She loves it here, that’s her third win and we’ll try and find a few more races for her up here,” reported Johnny Levins. “After this we may look at premier handicaps for her and it’s great for Sean to get his first winner here.”

ACTING STEWARDS

F. Clarke, Mrs T.K. Cooper, P. McLernon, J. Murphy, P.D. Matthews

Horse To Follow

WOULD BE KING (G.M. Lyons): He caught the eye with a good finishing effort in the maiden won by Beckford and should take plenty of beating next time.